


Warrior's Howl

by louisovermyknee



Series: Warrior's Howl [1]
Category: Science Fiction - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Animal Transformation, Animals, Apocalypse, Archery, Foxes, Gen, Hunters & Hunting, Science Fiction, Shooting, Water, Wolf Pack, Wolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-21
Updated: 2014-06-21
Packaged: 2018-02-05 14:43:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 19,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1822195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/louisovermyknee/pseuds/louisovermyknee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To Eve and Brea; my best friends that encouraged me to write this story.<br/>Thank you for your support and friendship. *howl*<br/>Water, or H2O, was the most important chemical in existence. It would support life in all generations, both human and animal, and not just fill up oceans and aquifers. It was only that what was once a wonderful drink that would quench our dying thirsts became our worst nightmare. Chemical H stands for chemical hound and it just so happened to seep into the entire Earth's water supply. Within time, chemical H took effect as a parasite in every human identity that would consume it. Let's just say that it was a 'furry-like' transformation for everybody.<br/>One crisp autumn day, my friends and I discovered the results of chemical hound.  What was once a planet containing 7 billion people and growing was now an animal run population of wolves and foxes. Now, after an apocalyptic era, the three of us must survive in this world together. That is, until we find a cure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. PRELUDE: LINNEDA

The Earth was once a raging planet. It was bustling with human activity and the populations would be fulfilled with its multiple species. With 7 billion and growing, humans were the primary ruler that lived on Earth. As for the typical day, both depressions and happiness would collide in one’s everyday lives. It seems ordinary, right? Well, it seemed to be back then. That is, until one day a ferocious leader was born. If peace on Earth existed, the phrase had completely vanished.

As you may already be aware of, water, or H2O was the most important chemical in existence. Such a chemical supported life in the human generation and not just fill up the oceans and aquifers. What was once a wonderful drink that would quench our thirst became our worst nightmare. According to research, our studies have shown that the Earth’s water supply had been subdued in a ‘special’ type of chemical that mixed promptly into the water supply. Within a matter of days, nearly all drinkable water was infected with this nameless chemical. We found this out one day through school. No, not in the classroom, but at lunch.

Every day, I would meet up with my two best friends. Bluestar and Stormgazer were the most wonderful persons I had ever met. And up to that very day, it was when we needed each other the most. It was a usual boring day at the high school. Drama had taken over the students, but not in a way that anyone would expect it to be. To omit water from our beverage options for lunch that day had to be the best decision of our lives. I remember witnessing my fellow classmates in pain. The whole cafeteria would clutch their stomachs or chests as if it was a deep case of heartburn or something of the sort. I remember glancing down the hall and finding a familiar face that was now churning with fur.

What were once human teeth became jaws and what were once human nails became claws. A long fur like structure erupted from their backsides and they all cried out in pain. Though, I should say that they howled in pain. The three of us witness their fur erupt from underneath their skin. Pretty soon, their backs would break as they got down on all fours. Varieties of colors fulfilled the cafeteria and we all backed away from the scene. “Come on!” Bluestar shouted and waved for us to finally escape the cafeteria. We raced through the commons, but I couldn’t help but look back. Before saying goodbye to the school forever, I could’ve sworn I heard the distant sound of howls. Although they were not painful cries as moments before, they were howls, conjoining together in a pack like ceremony.

The apocalypse had begun.

            The three of us ran down the street, almost aimlessly until I ordered “We’ve gotta go to my place! I’ve got weapons there we can use!” The girls nodded beside me and abruptly we turned the corner in the direction of my home. Once there, I scrambled about my room in hopes of gathering my archery supplies. I could hear my two best friends consultation the hallway.

“What’s happening?!”

“I don’t know!”

“Girls, come in here!” I shouted whilst storming through my parents’ bedroom. I was sure my father wouldn’t mind if I took a look through his safe. After a moment of searching for a specific key, I opened up the safe to reveal three Beretta pistols. “This’ll be perfect. There’s one for each of us” I gathered the selection on the bed and quickly filled them and cocked them. Whilst packing away my father’s magazines, I could hear Stormgazer mutter.

“I don’t know how to work a gun!” she said as she adjusted the holster to her hip “Are you crazy?!” “Well, I thought you already knew that!” I said as I zipped up the bag of valuables. “Besides, we need anything at a time like this” “But we’ve never shot before” Bluestar stated after adjusted her holster. “My dad showed me how to one time” I tried my best to sound convincing, but there was no point in showing off, “I think I still remember how to do it. As for right now, we need to go somewhere safe” “But where do we go?” Storm asked with fear that was stuck in her throat. “Anywhere but here! This place in crawling with animals”

 My left arm reached for the bow I had previously strung. The arrows at my hip bounced about in the quiver. With gusto, the three of us pranced out of the house and headed for the nearest forest we could find. Our doom had only just started. It was time to become warriors.

**. . .**

Several months later, it was all coming together. Chemical H stood for Chemical Hound, as suspected. This damned substance rushed through the Earth’s water supply with no intentions of dying down. Once consumed, the chemical would act like a parasite in the human body. The extract of the chemical was mainly produced by the bodily fluid of wolves and/or foxes. Whichever the leader could get a hold on first, that is. The chemical was formed to not just change the human form, but to also transform the human at a specific date of time. The leader had chosen late autumn. I suppose he or she thought that humans would not survive a winter season alone. Whoever this leader was, they guessed wrong.

            We were unaware of why this sort of leader would ever possess such a power as to transform 7 billion people into 7 billion animals, but our only job at the moment was to survive. The worst part of the deal was avoiding all possible water substances. Our meals would consist of nothing but what we hunted. I’ve found that chemical H dies once its ruling organism has perished. Our arrows, bullets, and blades did the job for that, thankfully. Although a cure was yet to be found, we still had important business to take care of. All there was left to do was to find the source of the apocalyptic era and destroy the leader, whoever they may be. The only thing was that it would be a kind of difficult task to fulfill if the three of us were the only humans left on Earth. Or so it would seem.


	2. BLUESTAR

In the back of my mind, I had no regret of asking for a bow and arrows for my birthday last summer. I was even more grateful to have, not only received my first lessons when I was very young, but also friends to help through the progression. Hunting was a sport for the three of us now and my first real prey was yet to fall by my hand. Hiding behind a rock, I swooped my dark bangs to the side. I kept my stance whilst eyeing the beast.

            The wolf was trenched in a black mane. His eyes gleamed as the sun began to set. I held my breath to silence myself as I drew back the string of my longbow. I saw the wolf cock his ears. Defensively, he observed the scenery. Silently, I hoped he did not see me. Days of practice would pay off for this very moment. If I could get through this, I could survive anything that would cross my post-apocalyptic experience. This would prove that both I and my friends could rely on me in case of a sudden attack. Without waiting any longer, I let go of the string.

            The arrow went flying past my bow, the rock and the wind. The black beast didn’t have enough time to react. I heard him howl in pain and I saw him plummet to the ground. The scatter of leaves rustled on his way down to the darkening Earth below. I witnessed him struggled to his feet, but it was no use. The impalement was set through his rib cage. There was no way he would ever get to breathe for long. I slowly made my way from behind the rock. Walking back to my prey, I took a good look in his dark, sickening eyes. It was like I could see his spirit erupt from him. Finally, taking a single breath, he collapsed all together.

            My hands reached forward to retrieve the arrow. I yanked at the shaft and it came out smoothly and bloody. I wiped off the excess fluid by rubbing it against the dead grass that surrounded me. I placed it back into the quiver, following the other arrows Linneda and I have stolen from the local hunting shop. I took a breath of both exhaustion and relief. I was happy to have found supper for the night, but there was one last thing I had to do. I reached for the hunting knife I had preserved from a hardware store I had come across only a week ago. Eyeing the perfect spot between the tail and the backside, I took a strike at the precise area. Celebrating my first catch, I got myself a black tail. Bluestar was complete.


	3. STORMGAZER

I held the gun with both of my hands. My body shook as I aimed my pistol at a white wolf from behind a tall oak tree that had already lost its leaves. I thought I was shivering from the cold, but I quickly discovered that I was actually frightened. The sign of the beast made me shake and it was becoming harder to focus on my prey. _I can’t do this_ my subconscious tried to convince me, but I did my best to ignore the subject. I must not be a fool and run away screaming. I had to prove to myself that I could do this. I could survive this cursed time. I could stand by the side of my best friends and we could be together as warriors.

I saw the white wolf observe the area. It was as if she knew I was here. I kept my mouth shut for the matter. Finally, the animal turned its neck around to check behind itself. Deep within myself, I knew it was time. I’ve gone this far already. Days of training had come to this. My magazine was loaded and the pistol was cocked. Now all there was left to do was to pull the trigger, but something happened.

The wolf turned itself around again, but this time it caught sight of me. It bared its teeth and growled at me. Her stance was defensive, and my body was frozen. I couldn’t run away. I panicked as the white wolf charged at me. My hands quickly found their courage and aimed again. My finger did its bidding. The shot resounded and the force shot my hand back, but not far enough to hit me in the face. The beast jumped, but that didn’t prevent the fallout. It fell to its death in a heartbeat. I smiled gratefully, but I was still shaking.

 

Immediately, I walked back from behind the tree. I took a stroll near the white furry beast and I kneeled down to observe the animal. The gushing blood ran out and it had shown through its beautiful, yet deadly fur coat. I frowned at the sight. The deed was done, but I wasn’t ready to go home just yet. I searched for a knife from my back pocket. I placed the blade right to the tip of the tail which connected it to the wolf’s body. I sliced down. Retrieving the stretch of fur, I took the time to celebrate my first shot I’d never thought I’d succeed. Stormgazer was now fulfilled with a white tail to her status and life never felt as well.


	4. LINNEDA

I had already guessed that in order to catch a clever fox, you must become a clever fox. I kneeled behind a bush whilst eyeing the den. I used a muskrat as bait and I presumed that the foxes would come out to play at night. It was sunset now. It was a time for patience. As I waited, I was caught in a deep thought. I couldn’t believe this would be my first catch of the season. I’d never thought that my practices in the backyard before the whole disaster would become useful to this day. The training my friends and I went through together would become our best intentions. Now, I had to prove to myself that I could hunt in this apocalyptic era. I nocked an arrow onto the string as I waited for my prey to show. It took a long while, but within time, I got my wish.

            The red fox slowly paraded out of its den. I witnessed the animal yawn slightly. A well-rested nap was about to become mere child’s play once I was done with him. I held my breath as I watched him look about the scenery. Once his eyes became adjusted to the sun setting light, he finally spotted the bait. His tummy must have growled, for why else would he step forward to collect the muskrat? The red fox lowered his body down for a sniff of the carcass. A few seconds had past and his mouth had finally opened.

            I pulled back the string of my recurve bow once the food was collected in his mouth. I was ever so thankful that he did not hear me. I held my breath as I focused on my prey. When the time was just right, I took my chance. The arrow shot past the bush and sailed through the air. The arrow caught onto the fox by its side. He barked in pain as it seeped through his fur and skin. That’s when I learned that that was what the fox said. I smiled as I watched the beast fall down. _Poor one_ , I thought to myself, _he never got to have his last supper._

            I brought myself up from behind the bush. Walked forward, I looked down at the red fox. His life was slowly fading away before my eyes. At some point, I felt sorry for the creature. He didn’t deserve this, but my friends and I have to eat at some point. I pulled at the arrow and it came out in a bloody mess. I wiped it off clean with a leaf I had picked up beside the dead fox. My test of survival was successful. I couldn’t wait to get back home, not only to have dinner, but to also find out what my best friends had done today. Hopefully, they were just as successful as I was.

 

            After retrieving my arrow, there was just one more thing I wanted to do. I tossed my long brunette hair back. Then, my hand searched for a hunting knife in my coat pocket. I crouched down to the fox’s backside. I cut through the area that would connect the tail to the animal. Picking up the red and furry object, I collected myself a reward. A fox tail was now added to Linneda’s name and the sun began to set even faster than before.


	5. STORMGAZER

The ropes around my chest were tugging backwards with friction. I grunted from turning around and giving a good yank on my dragging object. _Damned white wolf, why did I have to go for the big game?_ I continued to pull at the wolf. I had to bring dinner back home somehow. Minutes passed, maybe hours, until I finally reached home. The log cabin was an abandoned old thing. I remember when we first found the place. The furniture was trashed and the couch had ripples in the fabric. Regarding the claw marks, I suspected that the human was laying on the couch when chemical H took effect on him. I felt sorry for the whole human race, but right now I had to focus on supper.

            I left the white beast outside for the moment. Bringing myself up the stairs, I strolled past the porch and opened the door. “Anyone home?” I called out to anyone present. It took a while for a response, but I could hear a familiar voice replying back. “Right here, Storm!” Bluestar shouted from the back of the cabin. I then closed the door and proceeded down the steps. I practically ran to the other side of the house. Suddenly, I stopped once I saw what my friend was up to. I saw her catch. It was a male wolf that was only partially covered in black fur now. He had been sliced open in order to retrieve the essential body parts for our dinner tonight.

            “Oh,” I said, silently feeling a sense of regret. “Ain’t he a beaut?!” Bluestar looked up to me with proud eyes. My feeling of accomplishment sunk to the floor. “I- umm …” I muttered, not sure what to say. “What?” my friend asked me whilst turning over the soon to be edible organ over the fire. “I, well, hold on” I lifted up a pointer finger to tell her to wait. “What are you doing?” I heard Bluestar call out to me when I ran around the house again. Immediately, I picked up my furry load and began to drag the animal by its ropes again. I continued to grunt as I showed my game into view.

            Blue’s expression shown her surprise. Her eyes widened and I smiled once I dropped the wolf. “TA DA!” I waved my hands as if it was a successful display. “Wow” Bluestar said with a greeting, happy voice. We smiled at each other. “Did you use that gun?” she asked me as I walked over to the small tree stump for a seat. “I did,” I replied, “and I can’t believe I did it!” “I’m so proud of you” Blue’s hand stretched over to the stick that held the organ. She removed it from the fire and set it out to cool. “This one should be ready soon” I saw Bluestar’s longbow by her side and I was about to ask her how her hunting went when I heard a funny, nasally shout.

“Oh, come on!” 

The two of us jumped at the sudden sound of yet another friend approaching from the distance. “Please!” Bluestar scolded, “Don’t sneak up on me like that, Linneda!” My eyes focused on the lady dragging a fox from the distance. “Sorry, I can’t help it!” she replied. That was true. Linneda did have a sort of quiet foxlike feature that would allow her to sneak about without anyone noticing. I always gave her props for that and I laughed at Bluestar’s reaction. I looked back to our wolves and back to her game. Surely it wouldn’t matter what our first kill was, but I still asked her my question. “Hey, Linneda,” I greeted her as she lowered her bow, “how did your hunt go?” The girl lowered herself to the ground. Taking a seat, she exhaled. “It was great,” Linneda said, “I can see you two did great as well” 

 

Bluestar attached another organ to the stick and rolled it over the fire. “I’m glad everyone caught something. At this rate, we’ll have enough food for a couple of days! Anyone want this one?” She held up the previously heated organ with her other hand. “I will,” I sighed and Blue passed it over to me. I tried my best to hold my breath, but it was just no use. It was as if I was never fit for meat cooked this way, but I had to survive and it had to be done. I opened my mouth to chomp down on the piece of the black wolf’s organ. I chewed it up and swallowed. I knew chemical H wouldn’t affect me since the parasite would have died already. It was either that, or this was a truly born wolf. In all aspects, I would still feel regret from consuming a human who suffered the apocalypse only to become an animal. Linneda applauded slightly. “Yay! You did it!” she said. I smiled, but I also cringed. Hey, that’s the second accomplishment I’ve fulfilled today.


	6. BLUESTAR

“AAAAAHHHHGGGG”

            “LINNEDA!”

            “What? You know that’s how I burp!”

            Stormgazer couldn’t help but giggle as I scolded our friend. The two of us were unwinding on the couch when Linneda finished up sewing our tails. She used precision as she continued to thread the needle through to attach the rope. A few minutes past until Linneda announced “done” and she tossed the black tail over to me. The fur was still soft, even though bits of dirt still were scattered around it. I thanked our little seamstress and turned to Storm who sat next to me. “Can you tie it?” I asked her. “Sure,” she brought herself up and I did the same. Turning around, I felt her tie the string through my pant loop.

            “There you are, Blue!” Stormgazer announced and I couldn’t help but wag my new accessory. “It’s beautiful!” I said, “Thanks, Linneda” “No problem,” she said, “This was a really great idea. You’re next,” she pointed to Storm. “Can’t wait!” she said gratefully and I swiped my tail to the side in order to sit down. Within moments, Stormgazer’s white tail was hanging from her backside and Linneda finished her fox tail as well. Turning our bums in the air, we couldn’t help but observe each other. “Please, you just wanna see my ass!” I chuckled. The three of us were all laughing together and having a great time. The moment lasted until the three last girls on Earth heard a knock on the door.

            A moment of silence passed. For a second there, we thought it was just our imagination. “Hold on,” I muttered as I reached for my hip and brought the Berretta up. Linneda and Storm stayed behind and watched me approach the cabin door. I took a deep breath, expecting this newly found someone to pop up at me. I opened the door quickly, but instead, I found no one. I still held the gun up, but my eyes glanced about the doorway. Eventually, I caught sight of a note. On the ground, the folded paper was presented as plainly as an invitation. A wind came by, but I quickly crouched down to scoop up the letter.

            “What is it?” I heard Linneda wonder. Looking up, I took one last look about the darkened outside. I shrugged and closed the door behind me. “Who knocked on the door?” Stormgazer approached to my side and Linneda followed. “I don’t know,” I replied, “But, whoever it was, they left a note” I barked up my courage and my fingers flipped open the folded paperwork. I read aloud.

            Female Hunters,

                        I write to you in hopes of addressing you’re existence. It seems as though my chemical has been discombobulated in a way that has not affected you three. I must say, I am quite impressed by your effort of survival. You’re prevention of transformation amuses me, so. I propose for you three young ladies to meet with me at my home. Based on your destination, please, travel north a long ways. You will find a rather large university that is known by the name of Barkbridge, or Pound, as nicknamed. Trust me when I say the name covers its students, if you’ll pardon the expression. I hope you will comply with these arrangements and find it pleasing to be accompanied by my species.

Sincerely, 

The Leader of the Pack.

Founder of chemical Hound 

And Barkbridge ‘Pound’ University

            “Leader of the pack?” I repeated to myself, “So this guy is the one responsible for all of this?” I immediately grew hate for the one who signed the letter. After all, this man or woman was the cause of the apocalypse and he or she is the ‘leader of the pack’, no pun intended. “What the Hell does that mean?” Stormgazer scoffed. I tossed the letter on the coffee table. What a way to damper the lively and furry moment. “He wants us to meet him?” Linneda stated. “No,” I ordered, “We can’t do that. It’s a trap, for sure” The girls nodded beside me. Neither one of us wanted to be transformed into animals. I was happy they all agreed and listened, but something still bothered me. “If he was able to leave a note,” I said, “that means he knows where we are” With that, Stormgazer said “we are not safe here. We need to leave. Now” She was just about ready to leave when Linneda stopped her.

            “Hold on,” she said, “We can’t just jump out there now. If he left that note and played ding dong ditch, he could still be out there” Storm stopped in her tracks to think for a moment. “You’re right,” she said, “But we can’t go up north to meet the guy. That could take days to travel and who knows what he has in store for us!” She sat down on the couch in grief. We had to decide on what to do, and we could either do one or the other. Either way, we knew fighting was involved. Suddenly, an idea sparked from within me. I snapped my fingers to emphasize.

            “I’ve got it” I announced. 

“What is it?” Stormgazer asked with full length attention. 

“We leave” I said. 

“Leave?” Linneda repeated. 

“Yes,” I repeated, “We leave” 

“What do you mean?” Stormgazer asked, “We can’t find a hideout that’s more fortunate than this one right here!”

 

I nodded my head, agreeing with the statement. “Yes, but if we can’t go up north to go meet with this ‘leader’ or whatever,” I brought my fingers up in quotation signs, “than we might as well avoid him at all cost” The girls solemnly nodded. They knew it was the best for the three of us. Finally, Linneda questioned. “When should we leave?” she asked me. I replied simply, “Tomorrow, after we finish eating up our foxy breakfast” I smiled jokingly. Linneda smiled back, even though it was never a pleasant idea to abandon the place we all loved.


	7. LINNEDA

Winter was a harsh season. After we left out hometown to put our survival skills to the test, this cabin was practically our newly found home. The three of us came across it out of luck when we seeked salvation in the woods. The owner was unidentified. It seemed as if the place had never been touched, despite the trashy look it gave off. The cabin was perfect for us. It protected us from snow, wind and rain. The fire pit in the backyard kept us warm on those cold nights we were very familiar of. That is, until that letter came. Now, we know we’re not safe and we must evacuate right away in case of an ambush attack. Neither one of us would know if there was an army of wolves or foxes coming our way, so we had to act fast.

            “You ready?” Bluestar asked as she gathered the last of her arrows.

            “Yeah” Stormgazer reloaded her gun and strapped it in her holster. They were just started to walk away when I called out to them. “Wait,” I said, making sure they turned around, “look” The cabin stood in a silent beauty. Although we had only lived there out of needs of survival, it wasn’t just a hideout. It held our precious memories. We aided each other if one of us were sick. We practiced together and supported ourselves as a family. We created a pack of our own for the past several months despite the whole world’s population crisis. The three of us lived together happily as best friends forever. We took one last look at the joint in such silence we could hear the wind blow and the leaves ruffled beneath our feet where we stood. It was as if we were stuck in a trance until I said my last words.

            “Ok. Let’s go”

**. . . **

**** Spring was never expected to be a flowery season. In Michigan, the whole weather situation consisted of varieties. You wouldn’t know what would happen next. Wait a couple hours, and it will either turn hotter or colder than before. It was just that strange. The clouds couldn’t show any signs of rain because of how the sky was colorless. We wouldn’t see blue skies for a while’ it was a long winter, indeed.

            As we walked south through the forest, I couldn’t help but notice the disappearing snow and reappearing leaves that had fallen from the previous dreadful autumn massacre. Looking down, though, I also couldn’t help but notice a chain that was stretched out across the ground. I stopped for a moment. Crouching down, I narrowed my eyes to find the path of the chain. A sudden though erupted from my mind and I caught up to my friends as quickly as I could.

            “Guys!” I shouted. My arms reached forward to stop them. “Ah! What?!” Blue stopped when I grabbed her arm. I took the time to look about the scenery. “What is it? What’s wrong?” Storm asked me. I just had to test it out. I spotted a lonely rock on the ground beside us. I crouched down once again to pick it up. After checking to see if it was sturdy and firm enough, I aimed at the pile of leaves before us.

            I know I’m not that great at throwing as I am at shooting, but this had to be done. The rock sprawled cross the ground which caused the leaves to scatter about. Almost at an instant, the trap’s claws sprang upward. The metal teeth chomped the air in hopes of capturing its pray that never existed. The chain connected to several other traps before us. All of them released themselves at once out of default. The three of us stood in amazement, but also frightened. Slowly, we backed away.

 

            “Just as I thought,” I exclaimed, “They’re expecting us to leave!” How this man could’ve known we were fleeing in the opposite direction was beyond me. Let alone how on Earth this man set as many bore traps as possible for us. It was quite an obvious threat at this point. We can’t go north, we can’t move south, and we certainly cannot stay here. “So what do we do?” Bluestar thought out loud. “I say west,” Stormgazer proclaimed, “he won’t be able to find us if we’re in the center of the state” We all agreed upon that decision, and then after that we were more careful on where we stepped.


	8. BLUESTAR

I never would’ve expected this to happen, at least not in reality. We were salvaging in our hideout for so long I completely had forgotten the fact that the world had practically ended. When we followed the main intersection up to town, we found the aftermath of the apocalypse. There wasn’t a human in sight. All cars that were parked were to be stuck there for what seems to be eternity. A sound was not heard, let alone broken. By the look of this place, it was a ghost town completely swooped of its mankind that ran it. 

            “You think there’s anyone here?” I asked my friends. “I don’t know,” Linneda replied, but then gave a frightening, loud howl. “HEEEELLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?!” A series of echoes erupted from the buildings before us. At that moment, I was sure that we were the last people on Earth. “No!” I pushed against her lightly enough for her to understand that it wasn’t ok. “What if someone is here?” my eyebrows arched themselves. Linneda was silent for a few seconds, and then she whispered. 

“Do you hear anything?” 

“No” 

“Then the town is ours”

**. . . **

            We walked a long ways throughout the city. Turning corners and passing streets never felt quite scary. Eventually, my arms were weakening from carrying my bow around and I just had to bring the subject up. “Where do we go from here?” I asked Linneda and Stormgazer. A moment had passed with only the three of us thinking. Suddenly, Linneda sparked up an idea. “I think I know this place,” she stopped for a minute to recollect her memory. We saw her looking around the area as she thought. Then, she said, “There’s gotta be a mall around here somewhere”

            “A mall?” Stormgazer scoffed, “What does shopping got to do with this?” Linneda continued to walk and we followed her down the path. “I took a trip here a couple years ago. It’s all coming back to me now. There’s a hunting shop there. It should be that far from here” “Good idea,” I showed my appreciation. We followed Linneda for a few long minutes more until we came upon the entrance to the mall that stretched about the whole block. “Well, here we are!” Linneda exclaimed gratefully, but tiredly. “But how are we gonna get in?” I approached the door and attempted to pry it open. “We’re locked out” I didn’t notice Stormgazer had a plan of her own.

            Linneda and I heard the heart-stricken sound of a gunshot. Shards of glass collapse down to the pavement a little ways down the street. I turned around to see Storm backed away with her pistol in her hand. She lowered the gun and returned it to her holster. 

“Holy crap!” Linneda expressed her amazement. 

“Storm!” I approached her with a shocking look across my face, “What did you do?” 

“I made our entrance,” she replied slyly, “Now let’s shop till we drop!”

**. . . **

Finding this hunting shop was like finding the promise land. Everything you could ever need for the outdoor experience was just through the shattered window. There were restricted artillery sections and sporting shelves galore. This made the shop a hunters’ paradise. The cabin was nothing compared to this. I know it sounds barbaric, but we had to break just a little bit more glass to get what we wanted. And by a lot I mean almost every one. Linneda took over the archery section, Storm observed the range of pistols, and I browsed through the hunting clothing racks. We all loaded ourselves up. We all took a break to have a look at the snack bar they had by the register. None of us had ‘real’ food in a long time. Even though it was just nuts, crackers, chips, and pop, we took what we could.

“I think it wasn’t that bad to move out of that place” Stormgazer expressed her thoughts as we collected camouflage pattern pillows and blankets for the night. “I agree,” I replied to her. “I don’t know,” Linneda said, “I kind of miss the old place” “At least we’re farther away from that leader or whatever” I spoke as I lowered myself down for the night. “Yes, I guess you’re right” Linneda, too, covered herself in a blanket. “Well, goodnight” she began to close her eyes.

“Goodnight,” Stormgazer continued.

 

“Goodnight,” I finished the conversation. I wouldn’t know what we would do after tonight, but for now I had to sleep. I started to fall down in a droopy slumber, feeling ever so grateful to have a friend in these two girls sleeping beside me.


	9. STORMGAZER

I opened my eyes. I returned from the darkness of sleep. I growled at the notion. I hate it when this happens. I turned my body in the opposite direction. Blue and Linneda were still sound asleep. Now this was awkward. Being the first to wake up never feels very good. I just couldn’t help but stare at the girls for a moment. They looked so peaceful, but then I felt like I was being a stalker. I quickly looked away, trying to avoid the obvious weirdness. Letting out a sigh, I tried to consult with myself. What could I do in the meantime before my friends wake up? I brought a hand to my chin, but before I could think of an answer I sensed another presence.

            There was a deep, scary sensation at the pit of my stomach. There was someone else here. I could tell. I slowly brought myself up from under the camouflage blanket. I did my best not to wake anyone up as I tiptoed towards the entrance I created. Yes, it’s unsafe to go alone, but I had to be sure. I walked around the glass that surrounded the floor. Now was not the time to cut myself. I stayed silent as I observed the area. Something moved from the corner of my eye and I quickly glanced in that direction. There, I saw the truth.

            A mature red fox had invaded the shop. The look it had across its face gave off an expression as if he just foiled our plan. I didn’t know what it meant, but I couldn’t help but warn my friends. “Bluestar! Linneda!” I shouted and the fox scurried deeper within the store. “There’s a fox!” I followed the little animal and watched it prance about the rows. It tried its best to avoid me as possible, but I kept up the pace. At a distance, I heard the sound of someone preparing themselves for a shot. I turned the corner and saw Linneda aiming straight for the fox.

            She released the string, but the animal was too fast for her arrow. Linneda cursed at the fox. Even though she carried that tail, she was no match for the kind. The three of us followed the beast throughout the store and back again through the entrance. Bluestar brought her gun out and decided to take a shot, but nothing could catch up to that fox. She grunted from the failed shots, but it wouldn’t matter. We could restock at the firearm counter if we needed to. The three of us stood there and watched the fox scurry quickly away. We all shook our heads in disappointment.

            “What was he doing here? How did he find us?” The girls questioned his existence. As they consulted over the incident, I couldn’t help but notice something at the corner of the window. I stepped forward to pick up yet another note. “Umm,” I struggled, “Girls?” I showed Linneda and Blue the letter and they both were just as shocked as I was. All at once, we knew who it was from and who it was to. “What does it say?” The girls came over to my side to see the note. My hands opened it up and I began to read.

Female Hunters,

                        It seems as though I have rather misjudged you. I applaud you for avoiding my traps. I must say, you three are very enthusiastic! I completely understand the reasons for why you would prevent visiting me at my university at all cost, which is why I’ve written to you once more. Please, do not be offended by my expertise, but it would be my pleasure if you were to join me in the future. If you refuse to comply with these proclamations, I have no other alternative than to round up a search party. Forgive me, but I advise you girls to obey these commands and do not go forth in misconception. That would be dangerous, both for you and my pack.

Sincerely, 

The Leader of the Pack.

Founder of chemical Hound 

And Barkbridge ‘Pound’ University

            We were bombarded with his cockiness and our bodies filled with rage. Not only were we found out by a mysterious messenger fox, but we were alone in the world with a leader on our tails. 

“Well so much for evacuating” Linneda sighed.

“What do we do now?” Blue questioned, “If we stay, he could attack us. If we go, he could find us again” This was true. There were no signs of outrunning this ‘leader’, but I had to announce my thoughts.

 

            “I don’t know, but if and whenever the time comes, we must fight”


	10. LINNEDA

After that fox left us with that letter, we were still contemplating over when to leave and where to go. After what has happened in the past couple days, we’ve learned a whole lot about this nameless leader. He found out of our existence. He knows we are the only humans left. He wants to meet with us, but practically wants to claim us in the process. He discovered both of our hideouts and laid traps out to capture us. As for the three of us, we couldn’t decide to stay or go. We didn’t even know where to go if we did. So, in the meantime, we continued to shop.

            Bluestar, Stormgazer and I took a stroll the archery department. The recurves and compounds glistened with their poundage and force. The arrows were stored in racks and they showed their feathers and vanes proudly as they flaring up and outwards. On the sidelines, piles of blocks and targets stood against the wall. My head turned to both of my friends beside me. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” I smiled with a nod. “Yeah” Blue responded and so did Storm, “We’ve gotta do it”

            My back pushed against the target so we could shoot at a closer range. Stormgazer picked out a recurves that glistened in a dark wooden structure. Her poundage was up to her standards and the arrow clicked against the string. She was ready for practice. I ran from the targets to get out of the way. Before bringing the bow up, Stormgazer adjusted her glove. “Do you think I can do it?” She turned to Bluestar and I. “Yes,” I encouraged her, “go ahead” “Just be careful” Bluestar warned and Storm made her mark.

            I like to imagine she learned off of us. Although her profession was her Berretta at hand, it wouldn’t hurt for her to learn a new skill. Imitating a regular, old archer, she let out her arm and pulled at the string. She aimed as best as she could and held that position. She released and the arrow went flying. It hit the target just slightly above the center circle. Storm lowered her bow, “I missed” “That was good” I exclaimed, “That was you’re first! You just need a little practice” Stormgazer was thankful, but that speck of confidence was still raving.

 

            Within the next hour or so, the three of us were side by side shooting at the targets. Blue was at her longbow, I carried my recurve, and Storm kept up her new weapon. We congratulated each other through our progress. When we would collect our arrows back, we observed where we shot. I swear if the human species were still around, they would’ve kicked us out of the place for sure. I liked to laugh at that, but I tried not to think about the apocalypse’s results. Whilst taking a break, however, I had a deep, saddening feeling at the pit of my stomach. I brushed it off for a while and I didn’t tell my friends. I didn’t know why I got that sudden sickening feeling, but I was soon to find out.


	11. BLUESTAR

During this break from practice, I couldn’t help but notice that Linneda was being particularly quiet. I looked over to her for a moment. After observing her distraught facial features, I couldn’t help but ask. “Hey, are you alright?” I called out to her. Linneda took a little while to respond, but I was patient for her answer. But as I waited, I felt a distance type of vibration from within the ground. I heard the sound of scurrying and an occasional loud huff of some kind. I turned my head towards the entrance of the store. That’s when Linneda finally spoke. 

“They’re here”

The pack erupted from the broken glass window. The whole barking lot trotted passed the shattered pieces on the ground and into the store. A few of them sniffed on their way in as if they were detecting something. The only problem was they were on a mission to find us. Being taken aback, the three of us immediately collected our weapons and retreated back. We didn’t know where we were going, but we just needed to find places to hide or an exit of some kind. We tried to act fast, but the pitter patters of their paws were getting closer. It wasn’t long before one of their kinds spotted us from down the aisle.

I heard Storm swear once the wolf started to charge at us. Linneda squealed as we turned down another aisle. The animals were too fast for us to handle. Wolves and foxes were surrounding us by the second. I looked around for a nonexistent escape, but then I looked up. If we couldn’t go through the shelves or past the beasts, so I got the idea to go up. “Come on” I ordered the girls whilst beginning to climb. We slowly made our way above the shelves even though our weaponry made it difficult for us. The animals barked at us as if they were angry their lunch just left them. One of the foxes made an attempt to jump and bite the black tail that hung from my backside. I kicked the animal just in time. It plummeted down to the rest of the pack. Within time, the three of us made it to the top. The only problem now was that we were stuck. 

I looked down at the barking group of snarling teeth and flashing fur. If we weren’t in trouble before, this would match up to that. “What do we do?” Stormgazer continued to panic and so did Linneda. Without much thought to it, my head bounced back and forth in hopes of finding something of use. Yes, we had guns and archery on our side, but that would not be powerful to overthrow them all. I then picked my head up to see the next aisle. That’s when I found our solution.

Cartons of gas were stacked high above the shelf in order to prevent children from reaching the product. I supposed this type of gasoline was not just made for automobiles. The cartons stacked opposite of us would either save our lives or burn us. In this type of situation, I would’ve picked the first choice. “I have to get over there” I pointed to the cartons. Looking down at the barking commotion, however, made the girls think otherwise. “Are you nuts?!” Linneda called out from above the loud pack. “I have to,” I slung my longbow over my shoulder for the time being. I needed every possible freedom of my body to make this jump. I slowly stood up on the aisle shelf. My two friends watched me in amazement, but they were also scared out of their minds.

Without any more hesitation, I sprung forward. My arms reached up and I grasped at the shelf ending. My feet bounced off the shelves below, but I kicked so I could prance upward. I raised my body up on the shelf and sat up. I made it. I heard a sigh of relief escape Linneda and Stormgazer’s mouths. I took a breath of my own as well. I just had to thank the person who organized the store if I ever would find him. My hand tugged on the heavy gallon of gas and I swirled the opening around. Once the smell of gasoline caught up into the air, I tilted the carton. The flow of the liquid that would fill up our cars spilled over the pack of wolves and foxes. Some of them lowered their heads while others didn’t bother to look away from their prey. The first part was done, now came the real business.

My hand reached into my coat pocket for a stack of matches. At this moment, I did not regret picking them up on the previous night. I scratched at the flint. Without a doubt, the flame had sparked. I looked over to my friends. Both of them were slowly beginning to realize what exactly my plan was. I put the matches back into my pocket. The hand that held the fire stretched out and above the crowd of barking, gasoline soaked crowd. Before dropping it, however, I spoke to the furious animals almost as if the leader could hear me.

“Go to Hell”

The flame made its way down. Almost instantly, the fire sparked a light. The wolves and foxes that were barking before were now squealing in a hot, fraying panic. Part of them scurried away while the ones who got wet frantically bounced around. I watched the fire spread about on its own. Looking down the aisle, I saw that all was going according to plan. The foxes and wolves ran out of the store while the ones aflame suffered. I laughed at my success, but with success came a punishment as well. The temperature around us was raised within an instant. Not only would I save myself and my friends, but I also would kill them in this quickly spreading fire.

“Blue! Come on!” Linneda called out to me while she crawled to the end of the shelf. Storm followed behind her. I immediately did the same in hopes of escaping the flame that was fast and furious with heat. Once the three of us reached the end, we jumped off the shelves instead of climbing down. Luckily, it wasn’t a long way down. “Get out!” Storm shouted, “Now!” I nodded and followed the girls. We practically sprinted past the departments. Once we reached the window, the three of us jumped out. We continued down the street a little ways. 

 

Before turning a corner, I looked back at the place. No animals were found, but I did find a cloud of smoke forming in the air above. My chest raised in a heavy breath before catching up to Stormgazer and Linneda. We survived our first attack, which was probably good sign. But the fact that we were attacked by the leader’s pack was definitely a bad sign. Without much thought to it, the three of us immediately ran towards the forest. We had to find another hideout and fast.


	12. STORMGAZER

Our sprints soon became exhausting. I was really surprised we survive that attack. I was even more surprised that our tails didn’t fall off. Once we reached the outskirts of a forest, the three of us took a breather. Our running turned into a stroll past the many trees that surrounded us. I could feel my heart beat and the adrenaline was still there. We had no idea just where we could possibly go, but our walk in the park was just a matter of hope in order to find a place to stay. I still felt incredibly pissed since we couldn’t return to the cabin; let alone we had to watch out for bear traps. 

            I couldn’t help but growl at the situation. “What the hell was that?!” I recalled the previous occasion while trying to catch my breath. “He sent his pets out, that’s what!” Bluestar answered the rhetorical question. “My question is how did he,” Linneda took inhaled from the long run, “get enough animals to do that” “I’m not sure,” I said, “but I think I have a theory” “What do you think?” Blue asked me, and I explained.

            “This ‘leader of the pack’ admitted that he was the founder of chemical h. If that is true, than he is the one responsible for everybody turning into foxes and wolves. Now, according to my hypothesis, he rounded up all of the animals he just created and made them his pets” 

“What are you saying?” Linneda questioned my theory. 

“I mean,” I replied, “Those weren’t animals” I took a pause before finishing my sentence. 

“Those were humans”

“By gosh, I think you’re right” Bluestar believed me, “How else could you train animals to hunt for three girls?” 

“Exactly. What if they understand him simply because they were once humans before?” I couldn’t help but be proud of my saying. Linneda, too, found it true. 

“Smart thinking! But now we know that we can’t possibly go out to meet this guy” 

I nodded at that statement. My mind rolled back to the attack. That’s when I remembered the girl that made our lives still worth living. 

“Blue, that was amazing!” I said, “You were completely brilliant!” 

Bluestar blushed from the statement. “Thank you” she smiled.

“I still can’t believe you made that jump. You rock, you know that?” Linneda spoke up and came over to hug the girl. I followed her as well. Our arms came around her tightly. Bluestar returned the hug as well. 

“Awww. I love you guys”

**. . . **

            Based off the sun’s alignment, we still had a couple of hours until sunset. This was when we began to worry. We couldn’t possibly sleep outside with a leader hunting us. Just when I was about to give up hope, Linneda pointed to something in the distance. “Over there!” she began to run in that direction. “Wait!” we shouted back at her. We followed her in a running spree until we finally saw the little hut. It was even more so trashy than our first home, but it would have to do according to our situation.

            Linneda found the door to be unlocked and she stepped inside. It was a small little home with simple and dusty furnishings. She found the couch and brought herself down and her bow down too. “That was a lot of walking” Linneda spoke tired. “Tell me about it,” I sat beside her. Bluestar looked about the place for a moment. “I’m gonna take a look around here” “Alright,” we replied and she explored the house for a while. 

When she came back, Blue gave her opinion. “No one’s here,” she announced, “just an old house in need of some cleaning” I nodded my head as I listened. I was way too tired to even think about cleaning. 

“So,” Bluestar began, “Anyone hungry?” That made my stomach remember why I needed to eat. I felt my insides growling and I responded. 

“Yeah,” I said, “But what do we eat?”

“I think we passed a couple of dens on the way here,” Linneda considered, “I think we could hunt for something before it gets dark” 

Bluestar took on this thought and added, “I’ll start the fire soon” I, on the other hand, was too tired to even get back up again. “Sorry, Linneda,” I turned to her, “but I’m too pooped to join you” 

“That’s alright,” Linneda picked up her bow from where it was placed, “I’ll be back before you know it” she started towards the door, but Bluestar blocked the entrance. 

“No, no. Wait. What about the man that’s hunting us? I don’t think it’s safe” 

“Well, we have to find something to eat” Linneda stated. That was true, but I still didn’t think it was a good idea. Bluestar reluctantly stepped to the side to get out of her way. “I’ll be careful and I’ll be back by dark. I promise” Linneda turned her back to walk out into the forest. “See ya,” she said before closing the door behind her. 

 

“Goodbye” we replied, but we were still skeptical about her idea. Even though Linneda was brave enough to go out and hunt at a time like this, she was still a little too courageous for her doings. I thought that I would get up to look for her after a little rest, but pretty soon that little rest turned into a long sleep.


	13. LINNEDA

After deep consideration on where to go first, I decided to head back from where we came from. I tried my best to remember where the dens were, even though I only saw them from a distance. I kept my bow on my side and my berretta on my hip. I was prepared for anything, but I would never be complete without my girls. Surely this was a scary and dangerous thing, but I had to get dinner for everyone one way or another.

            As I walked, I felt the wind pick up slightly. I would never believe that spring was a warm season. In the back of my hearing, beside the swaying ruffles of leaves, I could’ve sworn I heard the sound of footsteps. Here’s the scary part – they weren’t mine. I stopped suddenly in my tracks. The echoing steps stopped as well. I turned my body around and quietly listened. My eyes scanned the trees I had passed. Not an outline or a shadow was seen. For a moment there, I shrugged it off.

            Of course, imagination can’t be the reason to forget about something for long. As soon as I took a few steps forward, the steps behind me returned. I immediately turned myself around. Again, no one was seen. This time, I decided to call out to this suspected nobody. “Who’s there?” I said loud and proud. Without a doubt, nobody answered. I stood where I was as silently as possible. My breaths were slow to prevent any huffs. Then my hand reached for a single arrow from my quiver. I slowly picked one up and hooked it onto the string. Whoever wanted to come out at me would have to enjoy having a point run through their body. Then again, I’m as defensive as a cute little foxy. My tail showed it for that matter.

            My head glanced slowly from side to side. Another wind flew by and it rattled through my hair. My gloved fingers wrapped around the string that held my bow together. I was ready to draw back whenever the time was right, but whoever was following me did not want to be seen. Presuming that he would continue to follow me, I took a few steps back and observed the scenery. This time, there were no following footsteps. I shrugged right then and there. I was thinking to myself how ridiculous it was when a sudden collision took advantage on the back of my head.

            The branch ran through my head like a nature-made bullet train. My body fell forward and I didn’t have enough time to react. My weaponry fell to the side of me, but it was out of reach. I yelped at the pain that was set upon me. I could feel a massive bump growing on the back of my head. My instincts came back and I tried to get up, but a greater force pinned me down. A large hand buried my face in the dirt as I wiggled under my attacker. I felt a slight pinch on the side of my neck. My worst nightmares had come to life. I immediately regretted ever setting foot out of that hut.

            “Hello missy,” I heard a deep, man-like voice speak to me from above “It’s nice to meet you” 

My eyes saw a dizzy vision come into play. My body felt droopy while he continued to force me down. Pretty soon, I was too tired to even think about fighting back anymore. Before I was sedated into a deep, solemn slumber, I heard the man’s cocky voice once more.

 

“You’re coming with me; you little foxy.”


	14. BLUESTAR

I lit a match to ignite the fire pit I had just created. The flame was low, but it soon grew into a great fire. Occasionally I would feed it with fallen branches every now and again. The air was cooler than usual, so I would stay mostly by the flame. I would stand out of the smoke’s way and just stare at the flaming pit for a while. I kept having flashbacks to hours before. In the back of my mind, the pack was still below us. We were still on top of the highest shelf. We were still going to die. But that couldn’t be true. I was breathing. I was alive. I was standing right where I was, in front of a fire that would keep my friends and I warm tonight.

            Soon, my legs grew tired of standing, so I lowered myself to a sitting position. I sat crisscross applesauce and looked about the forest. I was looking out for predators, but I was also looking out for Linneda. Just maybe she would bring home a wolf or a fox again. I breathed out a sigh. If only Stormgazer wasn’t so tired; she could go out with her and keep her company. My stomach growled out of dissatisfaction. All I had to do now was to wait for my friend to return to the hut.

**. . . **

            It felt as if countless moments had passed. I stayed outside to keep a watchful eye on the fire. While waiting for Linneda, however, I couldn’t help but notice how dark it was becoming. I started to get a little anxious. I remembered her exact words. _I’ll be back by dark. I promise._ I tried to calm myself down. I thought of rational reasons why Linneda might arrive late. 

_ Maybe the dens were farther away than she thought? What if she got lost? No, I saw her go the way we came. She couldn’t have gotten lost. What about traps? She would’ve looked out for them. She’s fine. She is fine. _

These explanations worked for a while. That is until I saw the last of the sunset. I couldn’t take it anymore. I picked myself up from the ground and hurried into the house to find Stormgazer. Once inside, I found her sleeping on the couch. My hands reached forward and I shook her.

“Storm! Storm, wake up!”

She slowly came back to reality. “Wha- What?” she managed. I had no other way to say it.

“It’s past sunset. Linneda never came back!”

Stormgazer immediately sat up from the couch. “Where could she have gone? She said she’d be back by sunset, right?”

“Right!”

“Did she sneak in here?” Storm said with a bit of reluctance, “You know how she is”

“I didn’t see her.” A pause had passed before I started raving through the hut. “Linneda!” I shouted, “Are you here?! Linneda!” Stormgazer followed me through every room in search for our friend. We found the last room, but there was still no sight of Linneda. “What happened to her?” Storm was panicking just as much as I was, “Blue, I’m scared” I opened my mouth to say something, but the knock on my door interrupted me. We jumped and nearly screamed out of scariness.

“Oh, come on” I said as I reached for my pistol again. My hand rose up with the Berretta and I ordered Storm to stay back. She obeyed. I continued for the door. _Here we go again_ I thought to myself. I opened it quickly, and then aimed my gun. Just as suspected, nobody was there. Instinct took over and I looked down. There was, yet again, another note to be read. “What is it with this guy and notes?” I picked up the paper and turned back inside. As I put my gun away, Storm demanded me to read it. I opened up the document in anger.

Female Hunters,

                        I must say, you are some competition. When I sent my best pets out for you, I thought everything would go accordingly. Sadly, however, I was incorrect. Now that you have succeeded in killing ones of my kind, I am sad to announce that I will not act as kindly to you as before. That being said, I am also sad to announce that I have captured one of your own. I am unaware of her name, but her foxtail suits her well. Perhaps a touch of fur on her skin would fit her. I’d be happy to complete the deed, if you don’t mind. In the meantime, I highly suggest you visit me at said university. If you refuse once again, I will have no problems in sending out another fleet.

Sincerely, 

The Leader of the Pack.

Founder of chemical Hound 

And Barkbridge ‘Pound’ University

My face practically twitched on how arrogant this leader was being. Not only was he challenging us via letter, but he also admitted to capturing Linneda. What worried me the most was that he had threatened to change her. To have her suffer the effects of chemical H would be the last thing I would ever want to happen to my friend. The only thing is, now, Storm and I had no other choice.

“We have to go, Storm”

“Go?” Storm repeated, “Go where?”

I reluctantly spoke out. There wasn’t much dignity left in my saying. 

 

“We have to go to Barkbridge University” I said, “We have to rescue Linneda”


	15. LINNEDA

My eyes opened up to a plain, white ceiling. Picking my head up, slightly, I looked about the room. The scenery looked as if I was in a classroom. On the downside, there were no windows to escape from. Noticing what I was laying on, I got up from my laying position and sat on the teachers’ desk. My consciousness had returned, but the headache came with it as well. My hand came up to the back of my head. Sure enough, there was a bump forming right where the branch hit. “Ow,” I mumbled to myself. I checked to see if there was any blood sprouting from the bruise. There wasn’t any.

            I had suddenly noticed how light my body was. My jeans felt incredibly weightless compared to how I was before. Looking down to my hips, I noticed that my holster was missing. The quiver that held my arrows and my precious bow was gone too. I cursed at the sudden realization. My attacker literally stripped me from my defenses. All that was left for me was my clothing and my foxtail. Other than that, I was weaponless. I was hopeless. Then, I heard a lock unbolting at the door. Now, I wasn’t alone.

            A man closed the door behind him as he entered the room. He was dressed in all black from his shirt to his jeans. His boots made a clumping sound as he walked into the classroom. His facial features were grown out and his hair was groomed with impressive swivels. As for my first look at the man, I was surprised. That being said, living with only two other girls for the past year had made an impact on me. Seeing nobody else but your two best friends then suddenly meeting someone else is kind of a shock to the head – minus the blow.

            “Good evening” He greeted with a slight wave of the hand. “Sleep well?”

            Based on the cockiness in his voice, he was, without a doubt, the one.

            “Sleep well?” I repeated, “You practically killed me!”

            “Well, I didn’t” the man stated, “You should at least be thankful for that”

            “I won’t be thankful for anyone who attacks me!” I stood up from the desk and tried my best to show off defensively. Sadly, though, it had failed. The man laughed to show how ridiculous I was being.

            “Whoa, now; maybe I should’ve come in here with a better start? How about this? Nice to meet you, miss. Welcome to Barkbridge! I am the leader of the pack. How’s your head?” He gave off an arrogant grin. Even the sight of his happy face made me enraged. I scoffed at how supercilious he was acting towards me. It was this man, after all, that had written those letters to us. I would have none of it after what he did to me.

            “Just what do you take me for?!” I shouted at the leader.

            “Take you for?” the man replied, “Well, to be honest, I take everybody as a pet and not as a person” 

I raised my eyebrow at his saying. “What do you mean?” 

He laughed slightly as if I should already know the answer. “Foolish girl, don’t you know?” He took a stroll past the desks as he spoke. “When I first created the chemical known as chemical H, my plan was to make everybody and anybody my little pet. That meaning humans, with includes yourself and those girls, but I can already see how opposing you are being towards myself”

I wanted to slap that man. My angry face had never left as I slowly avoided physical contact with him while he walked across the room. He continued his speech. “Although I’ve tried in the past to expand my chemical to promote other species, for some peculiar reason, the chemical would only pursue through fox and wolf fluid. That is the reason why you’ve only came across wolves and foxes previously. I suppose you recall you’re little trip to the store?” He looked over to me with a sly smile. I didn’t reply to him, but I still wanted to rip him to shreds.

“I suppose you are wondering why I’ve brought you here to my university” 

_ Well no duh,  _ I thought to myself; _at least that would explain the desks._

“You see, I’ve been working on a special project of mine and I was sad to say that I had nobody to test it on. That is, up until now” He took a step forward to me. At that, I took a step back. Ever so slowly, I was coming to his conclusion. “I’ve created a form of a minor sort of chemical hound. It’s not as powerful as the original, but I believe it will be a success” the leader stated loud and proud.

“What are you saying?” I couldn’t help but ask, but deep down I knew his exact intentions.

He sighed. “I’m saying,” he came over the teacher’s desk and reached down for some sort of object. I watched his arm rise up. The water bottle slowly came into sight. Right then, I was doomed. “If you ever get thirsty, I’ve got a special drink for you” He winked at me whilst setting the bottle down on the table.

“I’m not drinking that” I pointed at the damned beverage, “I’m not drinking a single thing you give me”

The leader of the pack laughed at me as he made his way to the door. “As you wish,” he opened the classroom door to leave; “I just hope you don’t mind dying of thirst” He nodded his head. “Goodbye, little foxy” he said before locking the door and leaving me alone once again.

I heard his heavy boots trudge down the hallway and away from the classroom. If I had my weapons, I would’ve murdered the guy already. My hands clutched into fists and I stomped the ground. My eyebrows could’ve permanently bent themselves from all of the anger my face was expressing for the leader. What was worse was that I was both thirsty and hungry. And all that was left for me was the water on the desk. I took note in my mind that this beverage held a minor sort of chemical H. It was the same chemical that had cursed the entire world’s population and I was imprisoned by the creator of it all. 

I stared at the poisonous bottle. It was as if the liquid was calling out to me. It knew I was thirsty. It knew I was suffering. The water would become my savior, but also my enemy. All I had to do now was to either protest against the swallowing, or condemn myself to the faith. 

 

I had to decide, but it didn’t feel like I had a choice.


	16. STORMGAZER

After Bluestar and I received that letter, we had no other choice but to walk through the night. We travelled north in the direction of the university the leader had insisted we visit. Our bodies grew tired and we had nothing to eat, but it didn’t matter. We had to rescue our friend no matter what the cause. Yes, we didn’t know exactly what we were going to do once we’ve reached our destination, but meeting this leader was the first thing on the list in order to get Linneda back to safety. 

The cabin was right where we left it. Neither I nor Bluestar knew what time it was, but it was dark outside and we were exhausted without a doubt. “We’ve got to take a rest” I told Blue as we headed towards the cabin. “Right,” Blue replied as she climbed the stairs and onto the porch. We entered our home which was cold and dark. As we laid ourselves down into the abandoned bed, the two of us made a commitment for tomorrow. 

“First thing in the morning, we’re going out there and rescuing her” Bluestar stated while rustling under the sheets.

“Right,” I agreed, “We need all the help we can get. Goodnight, Blue” 

“Goodnight, Storm”

**. . . **

            The highway leading north wasn’t too far away from the cabin. Once the sun had risen and we were awake, we immediately fought back the hunger and began to travel in the quest to rescue our friend. Blue and I would wake a good long ways and then rest for minutes on end. The weapons on our side made our traveling somewhat bothersome, but we knew that they were necessary just in case the leader sent out for another attack. We had to be prepared, especially since we didn’t know what was next. After what seems to be hours of heading north, there was a sign on the sign of the road. In white lettering and a dark red background, it read

** BARKBRIDGE UNIVERSITY **

** EXIT AHEAD **

            Although the two of us were grateful to have finally made it, the fear within us grew. We were brave enough to come along all this way for a rescue mission, but what scared us the most was the feeling of the unknown. We didn’t know what was waiting for us to arrive at the university. We didn’t know if we would be eaten to death by the leader’s pack. In fact, we didn’t even know what the leader looked like. I was even more frightened to say that we were about to find out.

The university covered the majority of the northern city. Not a soul was found in our presence. It was a scary feeling, you know. Both Bluestar and I knew that Linneda was somewhere to be found in this what seemed to be a never ending school. What was strange, however, was that it wasn’t as silent as a ghost town would be. If we were quiet enough, we could hear the distant, muffled series of barks and growls. It was, indeed, a frightening place to be for the last humans on Earth. 

            As we walked along the buildings that held this university together, Blue and I finally came across an office building with the lights on. Above the mounted words that displayed its part of education, there was more lettering that gave Barkbridge its nickname.

** WELCOME TO THE POUND **

** CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT **

**** “You think she’s in here?” I asked Bluestar.

            “Probably,” she replied, “I just hope we find Linneda before the Leader finds us”

            I nodded in agreement. With that, we made it up the steps. Slowly, I opened the entrance door. I peeked through the crack of the door in hopes that I could get at least some type of the sneaky feature that we were clearly missing. If only we had Linneda. She had this profession more than any of us. Although the door silently opened, it didn’t hide our presence. I gave up sneaking about when I saw a human being walking towards us from down the hall.

            “Why, hello!” He greeted me with a smile. There was not a single reason why this man was not the one. This man taking a stroll down the hall would be the one to capture our friend. Without another thought to it, I sprang the door wide open and barged inside. Bluestar followed the lead as I aimed my arrow at him. Bluestar pulled back her string and prepared to fire. 

            “Enough talk” I said in a defensive way, “Now where is Linneda?!”

            “Oh,” the man replied as he yanked a Berretta from the holster that hung from his hips, “So that’s her name?” 

            My facial expression that was determined had suddenly vanished. I observed the gun for a moment while the man aimed it right at us. That wasn’t just any pistol. That belonged to Linneda. This man was without a doubt the leader of the pack. I looked over to Blue for a split second. Her face had shown that she, too, realized the owner of the Berretta.

            “What have you done to her?” I asked the man, still hanging on to my bow string.

            “Tell us” Bluestar demanded.

            “Well, I’d be glad to tell you!” He replied, “But that is a rather difficult task to do when I have arrows heading for my face” the man came off as a cocky one. _Yep_ , I thought, _that’s the leader._

            “How about this, we lower our weapons and we start fresh? There’s no harm done” He looked to us with a face that was somewhat agreeable, but still deceiving. I looked to Bluestar for reasoning. She nodded. We could go along with his instruction, but I didn’t like to give trust away right out of the blue. Then, the leader began the count down.

            “1, 2, 3”

            He began to lower his hand. I followed along and let the string lower its force on the arrow. Bluestar did it as well, but kept her arrow on the string. The man returned the gun to its holster then began his speech. “Ok” the leader said, “now that we have that behind us, let me introduce myself. I’m the leader of the pack. Welcome to Barkbridge!”

            _Really?_ I yelled at him in my head, _I didn’t know that!_

 

            “You look as if you’ve came a long way” He observed our bodies as if we were people worth analyzing. I didn’t like that at all. “I suspect you two are hungry. Shall we eat?” Bluestar answered with a “yes” and I agreed as well, but I still did not trust this man. Whilst walking down the hall with the man, I figured I could wiggle out a few answers from the leader as we ate. Maybe I could find out what he’s done to Linneda as well. One thing’s for sure, we were not to leave this place without my imprisoned friend, no matter where she could be in this damned school, or pound, wherever we were.


	17. BLUESTAR

The leader led us to a rather large office that was lined with tables that were in a rectangular shape. It didn’t look as much as a cafeteria, but it did resemble some kind of teacher’s lounge. Coffee makers and microwaves were lined by the counters that surrounded the room. A small refrigerator filled in the space by the corner. There were sinks conjoining for anyone in need of a wash up. Overall, it didn’t seem too threatening. “Come, sit” the leader waved his hand to the line of chairs by the table for us. We followed the command, but it sounded more like he was ordering a lot of pets around. I still shuttered to think of what he did to everyone once they transformed into animals. Something told me I didn’t want to find out.

            Stormgazer and I set our bows to the side. Our quivers and Berettas stayed by our hips. After all, we didn’t know what this man was capable of. The man walked over to the fridge to retrieve a load of meat. He unwrapped the pound and placed it in a bowl. After letting it heat in the microwave, he served it to us with a plastic fork. The smell and the texture of it were nothing like our usual meal. However, roasting certain organs over a fire in the woods could not be this guy’s way of cooking. While Storm and I sat next to each other, the leader sat opposite of us. He brought himself down into the chair and observed us as we analyzed the meal.

            “Well?” he said, “Bon appetit!” and with that, he consumed the meet like it was his favorite food of all time. I just stared down into the work. In the back of my mind, I thought about how this man was the founder of chemical H. I was contemplating whether or not to eat the meat. The longer I thought of it, the more I argued with myself. _If this is the same man who poisoned everybody’s drink, could he poison my food too?_ I saw storm poke at the meet before scooping it up all together. I looked to her for an option. She decided to brave it, so she let herself chew and swallow the product. A few seconds later, she cringed.

            “What’s wrong?” the leader asked Stormgazer after swallowing yet another fork full. 

            “Umm …” my friend struggled, “Nothing. Just … the taste. It’s not what I’m used to”

            “Oh, you haven’t eaten this type of wolf before?” He picked up another fork load of the meat, “I don’t blame you. It’s kind of hard to find humans that have been affected while living in the woods”

            “What do you mean?” I asked, picking my sight up from the bowl.

            “After I rounded all my pets up, I didn’t realize that the pound would become so overcrowded. Eventually, I got hungry. So, you can imagine the rest” He gulped down the meat again and was practically enjoying himself after he admitted his action.

            Storm coughed at that sentence. I realized it at the same time which made me want to skip the meal all together. Of course this didn’t taste right. It was cannibalism. The leader ate the human species for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The only mix up was that the humans he ate had changed its form through the single drink that ruined the whole human population. Sure, we wouldn’t become affected because the parasite had already died, but it still felt wrong to eat your own kind.

            “I think I’ll have to pass” I said whilst inching away from the bowl. There was no way I was going to eat that. “Very well,” the leader announced as he got up to throw away his dish, “Suit yourselves” I looked back at him while he walked to the trash. Then, I looked back to Stormgazer. Her facial expression was just as shocked as I was. The two of us were indeed thinking the same thing. This guy was crazy, but he was also smart; but how intelligent can you be to produce a chemical to change the entire Earth’s living community? 

            When he invited us to explore the school, the two of us agreed on the subject. I got up from my seat to retrieve our weaponry when he said “don’t worry, I didn’t forget your friend” in a sassy type of voice. I practically wanted to kill him right then and there, but I had to find answers from him first. While we strolled down the hallway once again, I looked back to our plan. My objective up to the moment was to find Linneda, find out what this man has been up to, and how we could save the world.

            I was expecting for us to take a long walk, but instead the leader of the pack turned his body suddenly. His hands picked up a ring of keys from his coat pocket. His fingers plucked at the collection until he found the perfect one. As he unbolted to door to what looked to be a classroom, he turned to us. “You wait here” he ordered before entering the room. Stormgazer and I stood in the hallway and did as we were told. The both of us were silent and we had the same I-don’t-know-what’s-going-on outlook. We didn’t hear specifically what he said after he left us, but once he came back into the hallway he smiled with a creepy-like grin on his face that could make a baby cry. 

 

            “I told you she would look good in fur”


	18. LINNEDA

You know, I didn’t think I actually had a choice. The man was practically killing me with my passion for a drink. Thirst overcame me. No, I did not have a choice. I was huddling myself in the corner of the classroom. My sorrowful feeling for myself had suddenly vanished into relief once I found my friends peering into the room. “Linneda?!” they shouted as they entered. “Girls!” I shouted back, but I did not move from my space in the corner. Bluestar and Stormgazer came running towards me, but they stopped all of a sudden once they saw my new look.

**. . . **

            I found the results of the minor form of chemical hound about an hour after I took my first drink. My hands and feet began to itch something horrible. Once I felt my new fur grow from the top of my hands, I immediately felt clumps forming on the top of my feet as well. I quickly removed my shoes and socks to find exactly the same result. The fur that had formed on my hands and feet came out in the color of a fox. Looking back at my sewn tail, the colors were very similar with brown and deep orange. Now, I thought it was all over, but I was sadly incorrect.

            Not long after my hands and feet relieved themselves, the pain had risen again. It was just that, this time, the burning sensation came from different areas. I began to feel a slight headache at the sides of my head. I tried rubbing at the spots, but that only worsened the feeling. Suddenly, I felt two, harsh bumps forming on the top of my head. A few minutes later, after wincing from the hurtful notions, my ears had revealed themselves. There were no mirrors in the classroom, but I had automatically suspected that those ears were to match my newly found fur. What really messed me up was when that part of the transformation was finished. My human ears had given up and left all of its efforts to my new ears. I heard a popping sensation and the pain had slowly begun to decline. That’s when I realized how much my hearing had improved. My human features were becoming useless by the minute and it was scary.

            Just when I thought all was done, the chemical that was inside of me took one more advantage from me. Now, here is the funny part. I was sitting in the teacher’s chair just to fail at my relaxation technique. I was wondering how long this transformation was going to take when I had suddenly felt a throbbing sensation on my backside. Specifically, the end of my spinal cord was turning loose on me. My nervous system made my body shiver and shake causing me to jump out of the chair. I yelped out from the attack of the processing, but then I noticed how my voice had cracked. I did not progress a shout that was human. It was more of a bark and a whine just as if a fox was wailing in pain; which, indeed, I was. 

            I then felt the bump growing rapidly. Within seconds, I couldn’t take it anymore. My furry hands worked at the buttons and zippers on my jeans and I yanked them down along with my panties. My body sprawled onto the floor in a panic. I remembered the first day of the apocalypse. Our fellow classmates who struggled their way out of their human forms were now being expressed by one out of the three warriors who had survived. And it didn’t feel good.

            As I continued to lie on the ground, I couldn’t help but notice just how furry I was becoming. Not only my hands, my feet and my ears were furry, but something that draped down and in between my thighs were furry as well. The chemical decided to have mercy on me. Finally, I picked my head up. After wishing that this better be over, I had then came to a realization to just what I was doing. My head slowly turned itself around. Yes, my bare bottom was being shown off to the empty classroom, but something else had revealed itself as well. 

            My foxtail was nothing compared to what I had now. My hand reached back and my fingers caressed the long line of foxlike fur. I looked back at my jeans that had been wrapped around my ankles during that spasm attack. My original tail was nothing compared to what I had now. I got up the nerve to stand up. I bent forward to pick up my pants. I covered myself, but I had to let my new part of the body flare out. If this was what I was going to look like for the rest of my life, then I would most certainly do anything to find a cure.

**. . . **

            The girls let out a gasp at my transformation. Somehow, I was expecting that. 

            “Oh my gosh!” Bluestar covered her mouth in a shock.

            “Are you ok?!” Stormgazer’s eyes were bugging out as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

             “How does it look?” I said as I turned myself around. I showed my friends my backside that was now substituted with a furry tail. My jeans still covered my bum, but this was a totally self-defeating show.

            “Not good!” Blue wasn’t laughing, “We have to get you out of here” The three of us heard a whistle by the door. We turned our heads to find a rather proud leader who seemed to be excited to record this in his lab report. 

“I’m impressed on this form of chemical H,” he spoke as if I was a part of his animal stock. “You know, I’d be glad to show you girls my laboratory” Storm and Blue looked back to me for answers, but I didn’t know what to say. “We’ll come back to your little friend later,” the leader implied, “now come on, this is important” 

            Before leaving me in my classroom cell again, the girls came forward for a hug. The three of us embraced each other, despite one of us being part fox. Then, Storm broke the silence and she whispered into my human ear. My fox ear took over and transferred the sound, which I was grateful for, ignoring the fact that I had two sets of ears now. 

“Don’t worry,” she whispered, “We’ll find a way out” 

“And we’ll find a cure” Blue added and hugged Stormgazer and I slightly tighter. 

I wanted this hug to last forever, but we were stopped by the leader’s fake coughing. We hated him with the most throbbing intentions. As I released the hug, I gave them my faith. I nodded my head to say goodbye, but I knew it was not over. Deep down inside of me, I knew there was hope. Even if that hope was being devoured by the chemical H inside of me, I knew we could fight back. It was just a matter of time of when to strike back.

 

The leader escorted the girls out first then took one last look at me. Whilst closing the door, I could’ve sworn I saw him glaring down happily at me. I’m sure his thoughts were somewhere around ‘I have succeeded’ to ‘you are so done for’. I gave off a defensive expression, but as I’ve thought before, I am defensive as a little fox. _Well_ , I thought as I heard the door bolt under lock and key slightly more definite than before, _at least that statement is true now._


	19. STORMGAZER

It was a long walk around the building. Of course, none of us had been to a college before, so this was partially a setback. In the back of my mind, I continued to wonder just how we were going to get out of this place. Let alone how we could get Linneda back to normal. I still shuddered to think about it. Linneda’s tail looked like a painful organ that sprouted out like a furry flower. I wouldn’t want to know what it was like for her to be all alone in that room. In pain and no one coming to save you when the monster inside is taking over. The only thing was, someone was coming for her, and they were her best friends for life.

            The leader finally came to a stop by the head of a staircase. He led us down the steps to a pair of huge, heavy doors. He turned back to look at us. It was like he wanted to show us something excitingly. “Ready?” he asked us with the one smile that never left his face. I didn’t say anything, but my nod of the head replied ‘yes’. He pushed back the doors. Little did I know they were actually sound proof.

            Immediately, Bluestar and I were submerged with the echoing sound of barks and growls. I looked to the sides of the hall to see strongly formed glass structures. Inside the small glass arena to the left of us were packs of wolves. On the other side, foxes scurried about and barked at our entrance as well. The sea of wolf and fox shouts ran through our ears harshly. It nearly gave us a headache until the leader banged the side of his fist against the glass. “Enough!” he commanded and the animals slowly became silent.

            For a moment, I wondered how on Earth he could silence them all at once. Then I remembered. _They were human once_. That could only explain the attack we fought in at the hunting shop. I supposed another part of their brains were still eligible to communicate with those who were still their previous species; even though their race before the apocalypse was now limited.

**** We passed multiple glassed cages on the way down the hall. I never thought that a single man could round up so many people at once, but then I thought about what we saw before we even entered the building. _Wow_ , I thought to myself, _this really is a pound_. Finally, the leader opened up the real entrance to what was the most important place in all of Barkbridge University. As everyone would be away of, a chemistry department would most definitely have a chemistry lab. The only thing was this laboratory was this man’s workshop.

            It looked to be like a normal scientific office, but to us it was a prison. This was the place where the leader done his work. This is where he created a monster inside every human’s bodies. This was terrifying, especially because there were cabinets marked specifically with CHEMICAL H: HOUND stamped on all of the corked bottles that were stored inside of them. After I got a quick look at the joint, the leader spun around as if it was a show. 

“So,” he said, “What do you think?”

            “It’s …” Blue tried to find her words “… big”

            The leader laughed at our reactions. “Ha! Isn’t it amazing?”

            While he was having the time of his life over where he stood, I couldn’t help but to notice something on the counter beside me. My eyes focused to see a rather large binder with multiple papers clasped in the rings. It was opened to a specific file that was book marked. My eyes scrolled around to see just what this man was up to.

** CHEMICAL H: HOUND MINORITY **

This is the partial form of the original chemical. 

Only a small amount of fox or wolf fluid needed. 

Mix with any amount of water for a tasteless combination.

Cure should be similar to the previous attempt.

** NOTES: **

** \-  ** Capture one of the hunter girls.

\- Lock the girl in a classroom with only the testing bottle.

\- Write a letter as bait for the others to visit.

\- See if the minority sample worked.

\- Let them suffer as my pets.

Before I could even turn the page, the leader ran up to me and nearly shoved me off my feet. He slammed the binder shut and held it in his arms. “This does not belong to you” he snarled at me with evil eyes glaring at Blue and me; “This is none of your business” With that, the leader shoved his precious documents in the back of one of the tall wardrobes. He set it under lock and key once again from the sets he kept in his pocket. I take it he must really love his privacy. He sighed out in a sarcastic exhaustion. 

“Well,” he said, “Now that we have that out of the way, onto our business”

He took a few broad steps to one of the cabinets that marked with the words “TESTING” on the door. His fingers strolled through a few groups of the test tubes that were enclosed with corks. He lifted up one of the tubes that carried only a small amount of the colorless substances. The leader’s eyes glared at his creation. Since it was the smallest amount from the rest of them, I already predicted what exactly this test tube contained.

“This,” the leader announced, “This is the one” He held the test tube with gratitude. He was obviously satisfied with his work.

“What? The one you changed our friend with?” Bluestar spoke in a mean voice. She would have none of the crap he was giving away.

“Why, yes,” the man replied. “I’m surprised you’ve caught on so quickly” The leader of the pack sent out such a cocky tone, neither one of us wanted to be with him at the moment. I didn’t want to say anything to him, so I kept my mouth shut. Bluestar was about to say something in protestation, but I looked at her with a don’t-do-it type of look. She found the message from me, and answered it with silence.

            “So, if I was you, which I’m not,” the leader rolled his eyes at us. Honestly, this wasn’t a joke. “I’d probably wonder to myself if there are any possible solutions to your problem. You’re problem meaning, how to get Lineeda back to normal. Is that correct?”

            “Her name is Linneda, you jerk” Bluestar corrected the man with a scoff. I would have told him off as well, but I was slightly preoccupied from looking about the laboratory. I was just looking for something that could help the three of us. Perhaps the words “cure” or “reverse” would have been helpful. One thing’s for sure; Bluestar and I have to be sneaky around the leader. What would Linneda do in this situation? I would have to find out sooner or later.

            “Alright then, you don’t have to be harsh” the leader walked over to retrieve a large beaker from another cabinet. He poured the limited substance in it and looked for another substance to mix it in. He poured it in with the minor form of chemical H and it immediately started to produce more of the colorless chemical that damned the world. Bluestar’s energy shot out from inside of her, but she was completely silent. I bet she was angry just as much as I was. I just wished she’d understand that we couldn’t get this man agitated. We had to get answers out of him, and then at the right moment we would take action. It’s just that it was not the time right now.

            The leader kept up his work. As the minor chemical subdued to the increasing form, the man retreated to another cabinet that held water bottles without labels. He took a step over to us with the bottle and placed it on the table. “Thirsty at all?” he smirked at us and gave out a little wink. My face was emotionless because I was in a deep thought, but Bluestar was the opposite. Then, the man turned around and left us to stare at the water bottle. Both of us knew exactly what that was and we wouldn’t dare to drink it.

The leader returned to his table and brought out a piece of paper and a pen from one of the drawers. We saw his right arm moving about. We heard scribbles against the paper and table which indicated that he was taking notes of some kind. I’d imagine it was to state that his minority chemical had succeeded.

 

“Can you believe this guy?” she leaned towards me with a whisper. I shushed her as I brought my hand up. I looked to Bluestar, then to the bottle, and then to the leader. I turned my head back to Blue who was confused for only a second more. In a moment, she smiled at me and nodded. Both of us knew exactly what to do right then and there. My arm reached forward to grab the poisoned bottle. I unscrewed the cap as quietly as I could. The leader continued to write whatever was important to him and I prepared to make the move. The time to act was now.


	20. BLUESTAR

The two of us snuck up behind the leader as quietly as possible. I saw the leader flinch suddenly as if he was about to turn around. Without hesitation, I grasped his arms with my hands. Holding them back, I let Stormgazer grab onto his face. She poured the contaminated water down the man’s throat. He fought back and tried to spit it out, but he was no match to the warriors who just overcame the leader of the pack. Stormgazer slapped his mouth shut, making sure he would take the time to swallow his own curse. I heard a loud gulp come from our victim and I slowly released him.

            His body shook its way to the counter. He was holding on for dear life. I could see the fur sprouting already. “What ha-ave you do-ne?!” he struggled with his words. He spoke in a mixture of a squeal and a human cry. What we saw for the next minute or so were very similar to what we saw in the cafeteria. The leader’s spine shivered and shook. His head formed bumps that came out to be ears. He itched at his skin as the grayish fur came into play. Whilst trying to scream in pain, he instead barked into his transformation. The clothes he was wearing ripped off of his body from the result of his new form. Storm and I looked down to the poor creature. The leader himself became a member of the pack.

            I felt like high fiving my friend, but it was no time to celebrate. Almost instantly, the wolf’s intentions came to life. He growled at us with such anger that none of us would ever suspect. Storm and I stepped back slightly, but then the wolf jumped at us. The two of us scrambled to get out of the way. We made it just in time. The poor animal did not know what he was heading for. Once we stepped aside, the wolf leaped head first into one of the glass cabinets. He crashed through the door then his body laid limply as the glass cut into his skin. He knocked himself cold, but time was running out.

            “We’ve got to get the book” Stormgazer said as she kneeled down to the shredded pile of clothes. “Where are the keys?” her hands plucked through the pockets until she found the stack that held what she were looking for. “Got it,” Storm excitingly ran over the wardrobe. I saw her hands work with the keys until she finally found the correct one. She opened the door and reached inside to find the binder. Then, Storm laid the binder onto the table and started to flip through the pages in hopes of finding some information.

            I came to her side and my eyes scrolled with her. As she flipped the pages, we tried to find special words that would help us in this time of need. Storm was in the middle of running through the pages when I found the word ‘cure’. “Wait!” my hand reached back. Storm followed the deed and flipped back a few flips. We read the page in hopes of finding the key to saving Linneda and the world.

** CURE OF CHEMICAL H: HOUND **

-This substance shall be used in order to reverse the process of chemical hound. 

-A mix of pure water (H 2 O) and the labeled anti-H should do the trick. 

-This anti-formula should work for, but not limited to, most of the chemicals I’ve created.

** NOTES **

                     -The multiplying fluid can increase the amount of any chemical mixture.

-I am not planning on using this any time soon.

“Pure water?” I read, “How can we make the cure with our entire water supply affected?” Immediately, Stormgazer began to open the cabinet doors in search for the simple drink. “If he was the only human on Earth, do you think he has anything left for himself?” That was a great explanation. After all, how long can someone survive without a satisfying drink? While my friend searched for water that was not affected my chemical H, I scavenged around the lab in hopes of finding the so said ‘anti-H’. It wasn’t until the last cabinet I opened was when I found the ingredient.

“I’ve got it,” I put the bottle on the counter. I looked around some more for the multiplying chemical he used previously. I sat it next to the anti-H and then grabbed an empty beaker. A moment had past until Stormgazer shouted out the words I’ve been hoping for. 

“Found it!” 

“Finally” I replied while she handed the litter bottle to me. It was labeled with the words “WATER - DO NOT CONTAMINATE” The only thing this substance was going to be contaminated by was anti-H. I poured the water into the beaker, then the anti-H. Stormgazer and I watched the drink bubble itself. There was a small amount of smoke rising up from the potion. I’d imagine it was because of how this had to be a cure and not just a drink. Once the cloud evaporated away, I carried the beaker out of the laboratory. Stormgazer followed me not too far behind. The wolves and foxes beside us barked away, but some of them had quieted down slightly. It was as if they were confused, so I sent out a quiet message that said _everything’s alright, we’ve got it covered._

**. . . **

Stormgazer fumbled with the keys in order to unlock the door that caged our foxy friend in. I held the drink that would hopefully save her in my hands. Just before I was going to tell her to hurry up, Storm found the right key. She unbolted the lock and stepped inside. “Linneda?” she called out. We found her curled up on top of the teacher’s desk. She blinked and picked her head up slightly. Hopefully she wouldn’t mind being woken up to the cure. Linneda’s furry hands raised up to scratch behind her fox ears. That minor form had more of an affect than I thought.

“Drink this” I ordered our friend whilst holding the beaker out to her.

“What is it?” Linneda squeaked out a yawn.

“A cure; now come on” Stormgazer anxiously demanded her to take the drink.

Slowly, but surely, Linneda finished the job with a gulp. She took a great big sip of the curing water substance. She swallowed hard and looked at us. It took a few seconds, but the anti-chemical came into play. Linneda twitched her head slightly. She wasn’t in pain, but she could feel the transformation back to normal. She took a look at her hands and feet. The fox fur began to reseed itself. Her ears backed off into bumps on her head. We heard our friend moan while she arched her back slightly. Stormgazer looked to the side of the desk to see her fox tail disappearing. Linneda wasn’t shaking as ferociously like any of the leaders’ victims who have suffered. Instead, she seemed more relaxed than ever before. Relief had finally come to her and we all knew that by the first thing she said as a human again.

“AAAAAHHHHGGGG”

Storm and I were silent. We just stared at her rather blankly.

 

“Sorry,” Linneda flushed her hair back in a little embarrassment, “I do have a tendency to burp. Don’t I?” We got our friend back.


	21. FINAL: LINNEDA

Although my friends had just succeeded in rescuing me, there had more problems to worry about. The girls explained it on the way to the lab. “We’ve got everything we need to cure what he’s got,” Bluestar noted while we made our way down stairs, “But we don’t have much time” “Why not?” I asked while we pasted the caged part of the pound. Stormgazer opened up the door and pointed to something I would never had expected. “That’s why not” she stated. She began her search for more pure water and anti-chemicals. I approached the unconscious wolf that was still bleeding from the glass.

“Whoa!” I expressed my astonishment, “You guys did that?”

“Yep,” Bluestar collected another bottle of the multiplying formula, “But he won’t stay asleep for long” Then, she mixed the ingredients together to form yet another cloudy smoke. The girls already explained to me just what this newly found chemical was all about. The beaker was then poured into a large bowl that looked more like a drinking flask. “Good,” Stormgazer said, “Now how does he feed his pets?”

“I think I know how” I said as I poked my head out of the laboratory. Down the hallway that was adjacent to the lab and cages, there was a long shoot that extended to some type of feeding trough for the wolves and foxes to eat from. It looked like a shame to eat like a pig when you were once a human yourself. I looked back to the girls who were not too far away. Bluestar looked down to the flask in her hand and back up to the population the leader had caged.

“We’re gonna need a little more, huh?”

 “See if it works” Storm commanded and Blue obeyed.

Bluestar stepped forward to the opening of the shoot. She let the liquid flow down the tube and through the through. The wolves that were barking before were now slowly pawing their way towards the cure. Some of them sniffed the substance first, and then looked up to the three girls on the other side of the glass. It wasn’t until a brave little wolf had himself a drink. We saw the wolf back away from the trough after taking a sip. He sat down beside his relatives who watched the transformation begin.

The wolf’s body relaxed remarkably. The dark fur that overran his skin was disappearing by the seconds. He was not shaking in pain as if it was the first day of the apocalypse. Instead, he was collected in peace. The paws that kept him up extended to fingers and palms. His long nose was shortening itself and his normal ears had returned from a long winter of change. The wolf’s darkened eyes churned into a green texture and cornea. His wolf-like expression had faded away to a calm human being. The three of us were overwhelmed with relief. Right then and there, we knew we were not just warriors. We were saviors. We ended the apocalyptic era. Yes, the cure had worked, but we all had forgotten about one important detail.

“HOLY CRAP!” Bluestar looked away.

“OH MY GOSH!” Stormgazer’s hand rose up to her eyes to block the blazing sight.

“Ooh,” I gave off a slight moan. I just couldn’t help but to enjoy the view.

“LINNEDA!” My two friends scolded me. That caused me to turn around almost instantly with giggling squeals and a jump.

“Linneda,” Blue repeated, “You can’t just stare at naked people like that”

**. . .**

         Soon enough, the last girls on Earth were not alone anymore. The cure ran through every single captured fox and wolf in means to stop the virus that was known as chemical H. Within the next few hours, the girls and I sought to relieve every human being we could save. That is, once we found blankets to cover their ‘special’ areas. Everything was going according to plan. Once our fellow reborn species came to their senses, we would speak to them in comfort. Reassuring them that everything was going to be alright.

         “He used to eat us for food” One of the frightened ladies admitted

         “I know,” Stormgazer stated, shivering from the flashback she encountered. I bet she was reminding herself how awful it tasted. “I’m sorry for your loss, but right now we just have to plan on what do to next”

          “But where is he?” The confused woman asked us whilst tightening her grip on her blanket.

         “The leader?” she repeated, “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. He’s right ove-”

         When Storm stopped in her sentence, that’s when I heard a distance growl. Deep down, I knew we were all not out of the woods yet. Blue and I turned around immediately to find a bloody, furry leader glaring his teeth at us. Without wasting another minute, the animal charged for the three of us. Our rescued patients scurried to the side of the hallway. None of us wanted to be eaten for dinner that night. As the three of us sprinted down the stairs of the chemistry department, Stormgazer’s Berretta was set in her hand.

         “I’ll get him!” she stopped on her way down the steps to aim.

         “No!” I forced her hand down and forced her to continue down the stairwell, “I’ve got a better idea”

         We could hear the beast approaching closer by the second. The three of us continued to gallop down the stairs, deeper underground. It wasn’t until I saw the words “DANGER: KEEP OUT” was when I turned the corner.

         “In here!” I commanded the girls and they followed along.

         The leader caught up to us quicker than I thought. Once he entered the facility we were in, he didn’t get a chance to have a look around him. He was more focused on his meal. I kept up my defensive stance in front of the solid, thick door. No words were spoken from us, but the leader had no trouble expressing a few growls. The wolf showed off his teeth one last time before prancing in our direction. In the middle of his jump, I stepped to the side. He was not heading straight for a cabinet of unconsciousness. No, he was heading for solitary lockout.

         The wolf scrambled to his feet once he was inside the indestructible glass cage which was similar to where he kept his pets upstairs. His paws screeched against the cold floor and he attempted to bounce back. By the time the three of us forced the door closed, he was doomed for good. As the desperate wolf dashed about the room in hopes of finding the nonexistent way out, my friends and I celebrated.

         This event of jumping and giggling as if we were circus freaks ended up with the three of us coming together once again in high fives and laughs. The hug lasted for a good, long minute along with victorious chatter.

         “I can’t believe it”

         “We did it”

         The embrace was released and the three glorious best friends walked up the stairs together. Joining the frightened pack of humans again, the story of surviving warriors had begun. While Stormgazer recalled the days before the apocalypse and Bluestar told the fable of her brave and firing act at the hunting shop, it got me thinking. If we could cure the University of Barkbridge from chemical hound, imagine what would happen if we could save the entire world. The only thing was, however, how exactly do you affect the Earth’s water supply with an anti-H formula? The idea was pushed into the back of my mind once one of the men asked me about my first arrival here. I was glad to explain how I was once the minority hybrid of the vixen species.

**THE END**


End file.
